Maunaloa Weekly Report: June 4, 2021

Now quiet for a month and a half, with no significant change in the volcano's monitoring signals, Maunaloa's recent flurries of seismic activity remain in the minds of island residents and leaders on preparedness. Evacuation plans have been tasked to the state's Hawaiʻi Emergency Management Agency (HIEMA) for all but the least likely lava flow areas by the end of the year, with the intent of being embodied into law in 2022. The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, who are consulting with HIEMA on the new plans, have already previously produced lava inundation zone maps for Maunaloa in 2002, and updated them in 2017 (see image), “as a general guide to assist emergency managers during an eruption, to plan emergency response activities, and to identify communities and infrastructure at risk.” Depending on the specific locations where lava may someday be seen exiting the summit or rift zones of the massive volcano, emergency responders can then focus their efforts on a much smaller area of potential impact. It is at that point that the newly requested evacuation plans for a specific area would come into effect, as well as likely triggering other activities by HIEMA and Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense. Despite the relatively short period of recent quiet, the volcano does continue to fill with magma, evidenced by slightly elevated levels of continuing seismicity, with approximately 55 earthquakes less than magnitude 3 occurring mostly below the summit and upper elevation flanks in the past week. Still, in the short term, there are no signs for alarm on Maunaloa. To support our productions please like, share and subscribe, and consider making a donation at https://www.hawaiitracker.com/support #Maunaloa References: USGS Lava inundation maps for Maunaloa: https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/sim3387 Hawaiʻi Tribune Herald article: https://www.hawaiitribune-herald.com/2021/05/31/hawaii-news/mauna-loa-eruption-evacuation-plan-in-works/ ) USGS Maunaloa update: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/mauna-loa/volcano-updates